How to Write a Research Proposal

This is the ‘what’ of your research proposal. A valuable research topic is one that will make a significant contribution to knowledge. Often this topic will stem from your own interest – the questions you have in a particular discipline that are, as yet, unanswered. However, sometimes your research around a topic will reveal an aspect of this discipline which requires further research, and you will come to your research question this way. Regardless of how you arrive at your research question, you need to make a case for your topic being one which is worthy of research – that is, you need to make a case that your research into this topic will make a significant contribution to knowledge.

This is the ‘how’ of your research proposal. You will need to articulate the methodology or techniques you will use to conduct your research. These techniques may be based on techniques that are frequently used during research processes in your discipline. You will need to articulate any theoretical frameworks you will use, and any resources or tools you will need to conduct your research or collect data.

This is the ‘when’ of your research proposal. You will only have a set amount of time in which to undertake research, and you need to prove that the outcomes of the project are achievable.

The research proposal is an opportunity to demonstrate you have significant knowledge in the research area. You are not meant to prove you already know the answer to your question – otherwise, what would be the point of your research? Instead, you need to show that you understand the research area and discipline.

Depending on the nature of what you are researching, there will be a range of expectations you will be required to meet, to achieve your degree. These may include, but are not limited to: fieldwork, travel, conference participation, completion of training or additional study units, and ethics considerations. Your research proposal will be strengthened if you can articulate your awareness of all aspects of the research process, and if you can identify any potential challenges you might face throughout the process.

This should indicate the breadth and scope of your project. The project title is often refined throughout the research process.

Include the full names, departments and faculties of both your primary and auxiliary supervisor.

Describe the mode of your research and the form your research will take. This may include, but is not limited to, data, written work, field research, creative work, social performance and mixed media.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What will my research look like?
• What form will my research take?
• How many parts will there be to my research?
• How is my proposed research different/similar to existing works?

For many research proposals, you will be required to formulate the objectives of the research into a clear research question. Make sure you have a thorough understanding of the components of a strong research question in your field. Your research supervisor should be able to help you with this. It is also a good idea to look at the research questions of students who have successfully completed a similar project.

These should be focused statements articulating the output of your research – what you want to achieve. The aims and objectives should be written in a logical way. You should also indicate the scope of your research and include its limitations.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What am I trying to achieve with this research?
• What do I want the end result of the research to be?
• What will be excluded from my research?
• What are the gaps that my research is addressing?

This is a brief summary of what your research is about. While it is similar to your aims and objectives, it also incorporates how you will achieve your aims and gives an overall idea of what your project will involve.

This is the ‘why’ of your research proposal. Once you’re clear on what you want to research, you’ll need to give a clear idea of the area you’ll be researching. This will involve writing a literature review, which is an overview of the relevant literature in this area. The review doesn’t need to cover everything around your topic – but needs to give a clear and accurate picture of the field you are researching so that you can show how your research fits in.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What is the context around this research topic?
• What has led to the development of this research?
• What is the current discourse around this topic?
• What questions are scholars asking?
• What are the major problems in this area of study?
• What are the most recent developments in this area of study?

This should give your reader a strong sense of the conclusions you expect to reach, as well as an idea of how they will add to the body of knowledge in your field. While these will likely change over time, it is important that you have a firm idea at the beginning of the project about the ways in which (you hope) your research will contribute to current thinking. This also indicates to your reader that you are thinking about the implications of your research beyond the scope of your project.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What is the significance of my project in the field?
• What impact will my findings have in the problem area?
• How will my research contribute to current debates?
• What impact might my research have on how research is conducted in future?

This is the part of your project where you explain how you will achieve the results. It is important when describing the methodology that you make a case to show that carrying out your research in this way is the best approach. It is a good idea to consider the theories and methods which were used for similar research projects, so you have an idea about how scholars have approached similar problems. You need to be specific about how you are going to approach the research and show how these steps will move you towards achieving the research outcomes.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What tasks am I going to carry out?
• Will your methodology be qualitative, quantitative or mixed-method?
• How am I going to collect my data?
• What theories have other researchers used?
• What methods have other researchers used?
• Why is the method I am proposing the best approach?
• Are there any limitations of this methodology I need to be aware of?
• Are there any ethical considerations I need to be aware of?

This is a specific plan which communicates your strategy to complete the research over a specified period. It is important to be as clear as possible, and to allocate clear outcomes or performance indicators at each stage. It is a good idea to include key meetings and performance reviews in this plan, so check with your faculty about what is expected. Completing this will also give you a clear idea of the overall process and can help you manage your time effectively.

This is a complete list of the tools you will need to carry out your research. This will differ depending on the type of research proposes, but may include laboratory equipment, computer software, or any other equipment required to conduct the research effectively.

It is important to be aware of all ethical considerations related to your research. If you are unsure whether aspects of your project require ethics approval, check with your supervisor or faculty. The ethics approval process is often lengthy and time-consuming, and you will need to be aware of all the stages involved in this.

This is a complete list of sources you have referred to in your proposal, referenced according to the style of referencing you are required to use.